The Breaking of a Hero
by Feudor
Summary: Tough choices and challenges for Kim. Is there a connection to something that happened to Shego in the past? Kim, Shego and others, but not KiGo...
1. Chapter 1

**The Breaking of a Hero**

**Chapter 1: The Deal**

_Here's a question for you all: Who owns the rights to Kim Possible? _

_Is it a) the US State Department? b) Feudor? or c) the Disney Corporation? _

_No prices for getting it right, but hopefully your attention may have been drawn to the fact that this is an unauthorized non-profit piece of fan-fiction, written just for fun and not meant as a copyright infringement. _

_Everyone that is not an employee of the Disney Legal Departments are encouraged to thoroughly enjoy it, if, indeed, this sort of crap is your particular cup of tea. _

_If you do like it, please leave a review. Or, come to think of it, leave a review even if you do not like it, but have some constructive criticism. _

_Otherwise, just ignore it! You have been warned. _

_Thanks to Rshiel at deviantArt for beta-reading. Remaining errors are, of course, my own. _

==#0#==

Three days after Kim Possible's twenty-first birthday, she was invited to a meeting with Dr. Elizabeth Director at Global Justice.

The meeting was at the Middleton Offices of the GJ, which was convenient since Kim was back home for the summer from the university in Biggerton.

The GJ office was in a rather anonymous building in the downtown business district. Kim was quite familiar with the offices and some of the people working there. It was far from the first time she had had meetings with Betty Director and other GJ operatives.

As usual, she had to cool her heels a bit in the outer office, but this time she was made a bit extra welcome and given coffee and cookies.

It all added to her expectations.

Having just turned 21 and getting invited to a meeting with a bit more hospitality than usual made her think that she was going to get some sort of offer to join the organisation. She was vaguely excited and somewhat proud that she apparently merited such treatment.

After just ten minutes or so, Betty Director opened her door and greeted her.

"Kimberly, welcome! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting! Please come in!"

"Thank you, Dr. Director. Nice to see you again!

Dr. Director showed Kim into her office. She didn't guide her to her desk, though, but to the small conference table in the back of the room. The place at the head of this table was already occupied by an elderly man, who didn't get up to shake hands.

"Kimberly, this is Mr. … eh … Smith from the government. He has a proposition for you."

And …

==#0#==

The meeting gave Kim a lot to think about.

She had been a bit surprised that the offer did not actually come from Global Justice, but she had to admit it was a generous and tempting proposal.

It did, however, come with its own set of restrictions and choices, and Kim wasn't entirely sure what to do,

She decided to walk home to get some time to marshal her thought. A quick lunch at the Middleton Mall food court, and the 45 minute walk itself wasn't enough to arrive at a decision, though. Also, she of course had to talk to Ron first, and to her parents. In general terms, that is, since the offer itself was so very top secret.

Luckily, she had been given the rest of the week before she had to give an answer.

Arriving at her parents' house, she let herself in with her key.

"Hi, Mum! I'm home!"

"In the kitchen, dear!"

Mrs. Dr. Possible was sitting at the kitchen table, a laptop before her and several stacks of notes and books around her. She was obviously working on her research and preparing a scientific paper for submission.

"So, how did it go, Kimmie?" Anne asked, looking up from the computer screen.

"Well, they did offer me some package deal, as we thought. I'll have to think a bit about it, though, before I decide."

"Don't rush it, dear. It's your future, after all!

"Yeah, hopefully. Listen, I'll just go up to my room and freshen up a bit, maybe rest a little, OK?"

"That's fine, dear. Just tell me if you're hungry or something." Her mother was already being absorbed back into her work.

Kim started off towards the attic room she still thought of as her room, even though she spent much more time in the dorm room she shared with Roxy at the Carmichael Hall of the Biggerton Institute of Technology; or the BIT-CH, as almost everyone called it.

All things considered, and despite her early misgivings, she enjoyed her time at college, but home was still Middleton to her.

A very surprising reason that campus life didn't suck, despite her having to be apart from Ron, was actually her room-mate. She would never have thought that hanging out with Bonnie Rockwaller would be in any way possible. Bonnie, however, had made some radical decisions and was an almost completely different person, hence her insistence that everyone call her Roxy instead of Bonnie, Bon-Bon or Rockwaller.

Kim still couldn't get her head around the transformation, although she was very grateful for it.

Bonnie, or rather Roxy, didn't like to talk about it. Kim, however, had gathered that she had tried her luck at an acting career, and spent the summer after graduation in Hollywood trying to get herself into some film or TV show. Probably, someone had pressured her to take the bedroom route to stardom, and Bonnie had freaked. Although Kim had no proof whatsoever, she suspected it could all have something to do with the mysterious accident of hot-shot producer Warner Piczar Fuchs, who had turned up at hospital with undisclosed injuries to the nether part of his body.

Anyway, Bonnie had made a u-turn. She now studied media, photography and music production at the BIT, and seemed set on approaching show-biz from behind the cameras instead.

She had sacrificed her long and elegantly polished nails to take up playing the guitar in an all-girl college band, she had cut her hair in a sort of tom-boy look, and she had started wearing clothes like khakis, plain t-shirts, sneakers and vests with lots of pockets, buckles and straps. She now looked more like a hot war-zone correspondent than a cat-walk fashion statement, and it suited her. Even better, her personality had mellowed drastically.

Well, Kim thought, the opportunity she had been given at the meeting today would, among other things, mean that she would have to quit the BIT, and that she would no longer have Roxy for a room-mate.

She decided she would have to call Roxy and talk this over, even though the man in Dr. Director's office had insisted she tell nobody about the top secret programme she had been invited to.

And, of course, she had to talk this through with Ron. Best friend since forever, trusty side-kick, boyfriend, fiancé and husband-to-be: he had to be a part of this decision no matter what the GJ and the government said.

Kim climbed the ladder up to her attic room, and immediately sensed something wrong.

There was somebody there.

Someone was lying on the bed, idly reading a magazine. The person was on her stomach, legs bent and feet kicking nonchalantly in the air. Her black, glossy hair spilled out over her back and pooled over the sheets around her shoulders. She lifted her sparkling emerald gaze from her reading and looked Kim in the eyes without saying anything.

To say that Kim was surprised would have been a serious understatement.

"Shego!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing in my room?"

==#0#==

/_Author's note/ Yeah, that's it for now. Short cliff-hanger prologue. What is Shego doing in Kimmie's old room? What was the deal she was offered by the secretive Mr. Smith? What will happen now? _

_Stay tuned!_

_Sorry, by the way, for starting this when I had already begun an ambitiously grand adventure for Kim in "Noting to Lose". There was this other idea that popped up, though, and I couldn't deny it the limelight. _

_Hope I can juggle the two story lines at the same time, as well as any one-shots that might ambush me…_

_/Feudor/_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Breaking of a Hero**

**Chapter 2: The Talk**

_You do remember who owns __Kim Possible, right? _

_You do understand __that this is an unauthorized non-profit piece of fan-fiction, written just for fun and not meant as a copyright infringement? _

_Well, all righty, then. Let's just get on with it!_

_If you like it, please leave a review. Or__ if you hate it, and have some constructive criticism._

_Thanks to Rshiel at deviantArt for beta-reading. Remaining errors are, of course, my own. _

==#0#==

"**Shego!" Kim Possible exclaimed. "What are you doing in my room?"**

"Doy, Princess, what does it look like? I'm relaxing on your bed, and reading your old _Cuddlebuddy Collector_ magazines!"

"Yeah, I can see that! What I mean is more like – why do you have to keep sneaking into my room? Why can't you use the door like a normal person?"

"Well, Pumpkin, I think the clue is very much in the question for that one…"

"Darn. Walked right into that one, didn't I? But anyway, why are you here?"

Kim grabbed some clothes from her drawers and closet and retreated to her bathroom to change. She kept the door ajar to be able to continue talking with Shego.

"Well, Kimmie, we need to talk. It's quite urgent and important, so I came here to wait for you. You took longer than expected, though, so I got bored and decided to come in and relax a bit. Your mother was busy with her brain stuff research, so I let myself in and crashed here on your bed. All right? "

Kim came out from the bathroom, now clad in a light blue short sleeved top and tan capris.

"Aw, Shego! You're impossible!"

"Well, that's the difference between us! I'm impossible, and you're Kim Possible!"

"Oh, ha ha! Hadn't heard that one for almost three days!"

"Well, anyway, it's still funny when **I** say it, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure it is. So let's talk! But first, have you eaten? I had some pasta at the food court, but I'm sure we can find some lunch for you if you're hungry?"

"No, thanks, I'm good."

"Well, some coffee, then, perhaps? And cookies?"

"Ah, now you're talking! Your parents do have a real good coffee machine."

"Well, you should know. You gave it to them last Christmas, remember?"

The two young women climbed down from the attic and walked downstairs.

"Hallo, Mrs. P!" Shego said, walking into the kitchen with Kim.

"Oh, hi there, Shego! I didn't hear you come in!"

"Ah… I was just upstairs with Kimmie."

Kim started hunting for cookies, muffins and whatever seemed tempting. Mrs. Possible's attention drifted back to her work.

"We're going to make some coffee, Mum! Do you want any?"

"No thanks, dear." She indicated a big mug by the laptop. "I'm on tea, today. Trying to be kind to my stomach."

"Tragic!" Shego said. "Cappuccino for you, Pumpkin?"

"Please and thank you, Shegie!"

Shego busied herself with the barista style coffee machine, and Kim arranged a tray with everything else they would need.

"It's nice outside today. Fancy taking it all out in the garden, by the pool?"

"Sure, Kimmie! Fine by me!"

They had started carrying everything outside, when Mrs. Possible suddenly looked up and called out to them.

"Oh, Shego! Would you like to stay for dinner or are you two going out?"

Shego hesitated. "Well, I don't want to put you to any trouble…"

"Oh, don't worry, Shego. It's not brain loaf day today. I promise!"

Shego looked at Kim for confirmation.

"In that case, yes, please, I'd be happy to stay for dinner!

==#0#==

Kim followed Shego out to the group of garden furniture by the pool. The weather was mild but fresh, and the sunlight was filtered through a slight haze. It was pleasant without being too hot, and they didn't bother with unfolding the parasols.

"You do know my Mum likes you quite a lot, Shego?" Kim said as they sorted out their cups and cookies.

"Yeah, well, I like her, too. She's quite cool for a soccer mum."

"The Tweebs gave up soccer years ago, so I'm not sure she qualifies anymore."

Shego shrugged. "Once a soccer mum, always a soccer mum…"

They drank their coffee in silence.

Kim watched the pale ex-hero turned ex-thief over the rim of her cup. As so often, she couldn't help but marvel at the changes in their relationship, and in Shego herself.

The Lowardian incident had proved to be a major turning point, not only for Drakken but, perhaps even more, for the self-professedly evil side-kick.

The amnesty that was granted in exchange for their help in saving the world had provided an opportunity to go straight, and Shego had grabbed it with both hands.

It all confirmed Kim's suspicions that Shego was neither particularly evil nor excessively good. She was just like most people in this regard. What she had an enormous supply off, though, was pride.

Although one of the seven deadly sins, Kim didn't find it hard to accept excessive pride as Shego's dominant characteristic, especially as she had to admit the woman had quite a few things to be proud of. Her strength and agility, her knowledge of computers and electronics, and, yes, her beauty.

Anyway, she had obviously been very proud of her status as a hero, until that, for some reason, turned sour. Kim had not managed to find out exactly what went wrong, but was sure that something major happened, perhaps some huge fight between her and Hego. For sure, Hego was annoying enough to drive anyone to extremes.

Whatever happened, Shego emerged as an 'evil' villainess. Kim was certain that the evil part was mostly for show, though, and that her attitude and actions were born more of pride than anything else. When she was a hero, she wanted to be the most competent and impressive hero possible, and as a villain, she just had to be the most bad-ass, sarcastic, awesome criminal imaginable.

And then, when she had been given the opportunity to be 'good' again, she embraced that, too, with everything she had.

Luckily, she hadn't turned back into the somewhat naive superhero of her adolescence. And she wasn't nice in the way of the stunted Miss Go, either. Oh, Kim had really enjoyed hanging out with the unlikely high-school teacher. She had been funny, kind and supportive. But Shego, as she was now, being nice because she liked you, and not because she couldn't help it, was infinitely more precious.

Yes, Kim had to admit, Shego was now by far her best female friend. She was amusing, exciting and challenging to be around, they could do tons of different things together, and they could talk about anything.

It was a real miracle, like in some sappy soap opera, but it was for real.

"So, Shego? What about we do this thing where we talk?"

"Ah, yes. That. Well, let's start with you telling me about your 11 o'clock appointment with Betty Spook?"

Kim wasn't at all surprised that Shego knew about the meeting, secret as it was supposed to have been. The numerous odd jobs and troubleshooting Shego did for the GJ gave her contacts everywhere in the organisation. She seemed to know all that was going down and have all the gossip. Kim thought that she probably knew the international crime-fighting agency better than Dr. Director did.

"Yeah, fine," Kim said. "You obviously know I was called in for an important interview. I was a bit early, but got to sit in the nice lounge in the front office. They even gave me coffee in real china cups."

"Oh, the silk glove treatment! Didn't you think it meant you were about to be suckered into something bad?"

Kim blushed a bit. "Actually, no. To be honest, I thought it might mean that they appreciated my … eh … potential, and that they wanted to show some respect."

"Oh, Princess!" Shego shook her head in amazed disappointment. "An organisation like the GJ never shows respect."

"Perhaps. Well, anyway, Dr. Director came an got me and showed me into her room. And there was this man… "

"Aha! Describe him for me, would you? In detail?"

"Well, he was in his sixties, I would say. Gray, almost white, hair. Long, combed back from his forehead and almost reaching his shoulders in the back. Big man, although not fat. More like a retired football player. Large nose, the kind I would call Roman or aquiline. Full lips, heavy jowls. Eyes icy blue… Hey, Shego? You all right?"

Shego looked suddenly distressed and had paled significantly. Where she usually was a delicate pistachio colour, she was now whitish like a sheet of cheap printer paper.

"Damn! Damn it all to hell. I … think I know that man. And that's bad. Very bad."

"You know him? How?"

"I … don't really remember, that's the trouble. Go on, will you? I'll tell you all I think I know afterwards."

"Well, there's not all that much to tell. The man, Mr. Smith, made me an offer. I would get a place in a top secret elite training programme. It would be geared to my abilities and would make me a top level operative if all went well. Whether I made it or not, I would have a guaranteed income for life. But if I got good grades, I would be obliged to work for at least ten years in government service. I'd be doing stuff a bit like you're doing now for GJ, but for any government agency. I'd be sent in whenever the missions are really difficult and important, and I'd get paid real well!"

Shego sighed. "And Betty, what did she have to say?"

"Dr. Director was oddly quiet. Almost hostile." Kim blushed again. "I actually thought this was because she had wanted to make me an offer herself, for the GJ, and the government had gone above her head."

"Well, you're right, Pumpkin. Betty did want to offer you a trainee position herself. And she's probably quite pissed about the deal Mr. Smith made."

"But Shego? What's wrong? It seems like an interesting deal?"

Shego didn't say anything for a while. She lifted her gaze and looked out over the garden. The shrubs and trees beyond the fence offered a peaceful view, and in the distance the foothills of the Colorado Rockies offered tranquil and beautiful backdrop. Shego was far from calm, though.

"Kimmie," she said, "I'm gonna tell you something important. Something I've never told anyone else. And I think it's something you need to know right now, even if it's all a bit vague. So, be sure to listen carefully, now!"

"Of course!"

"Well, I'm sure you've been curious about what really happened to make me quit the hero gig and turn to villainy?"

"Yeah, sure, I've wondered…"

"The truth is, I don't really know."

Kim silently waited for Shego to continue. She could see that this was a difficult thing for Shego to talk about, and didn't want to say anything that could disturb the tale.

Eventually, Shego spoke again. She used a low, matter-of-fact voice, very much different from her usual teasing tones.

"There's actually about six months of my life missing. I can't remember what really happened from just after I turned eighteen, and until I found myself crawling the downtown bars of some rust-belt town in the fall of 2001. I can recall being part of Team Go, and then I find myself down and out, half a year later, trying to drink myself to death.

"I have nightmares, though. Boy, do I have nightmares. Some of them are about pain, violence and humiliation, some are just weird, but a few of them are about a man around 55 years old, heavy, imposing and a real bastard." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And I fear you just met him."

==#0#==

/_Author's note/ So now we know. Or rather, we can suspect that the secretive Mr. Smith may have had some past dealings with Shego that were not altogether benign. _

_What does that mean for the choices Kim has to make now? Is there something off with the offer she's received? _

_Stay tuned!_

_/Feudor/_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Breaking of a Hero**

**Chapter 3: The Sitch**

_Just checking: Do you remember the question in the authors notes of chapter one? Do you remember the answer? Or does nobody read the forewords and notes? _

_Anyway – it was all meant to establish that this is an unauthorized bit of fan-fiction using copyrighted characters without permission. Howzat for a confession? _

_Still – what did you expect? You have all clicked your way to the Cartoons/Kim Possible section of the fanfiction dot net. I'm sure you weren't looking for the next chapter of a major Nobel Prize winning writer…_

_Well, this is what you get, whatever your expectations. If you like it, please leave a review. Or if you hate it, please gimme some constructive criticism. Please, anyone? One tiny review? Even if it's just to say that you think it's crap?_

_Thanks to Rshiel at deviantArt for beta-reading. Remaining errors are, of course, my own. _

==#0#==

"**I have nightmares, though. Boy, do I have nightmares. Some of them are about pain, violence and humiliation, some are just weird, but a few of them are about a man around 55 years old, heavy, imposing and a real bastard." Shego's voice dropped to a whisper. "And I fear you just met him."**

Kim looked at her pale friend for a few moments before trying to get to grips with the sitch.

"So," she said eventually, "something really nasty happened to you, like, nine years ago, but you can't remember what?"

Shego nodded, still looking out over the garden.

"But you think it has something to do with the man I met today? And the offer he made me?"

"Look, I know it sounds pretty vague. And I can't honestly claim to **know** what this is all about. But I do believe the bastard you met this morning was mixed up in it somehow, and there certainly are warning bells in the back of my mind."

She turned around and looked Kim in the eyes. "I want you to think very, very carefully about this!"

Kim nodded. "Of course," she said, threading carefully. "It would, though, be helpful if you could tell me more about your experiences, even the dreams and the fears you may have."

"Okay," Shego said. "I'll do my best. But you have to understand that this isn't easy for me!"

Kim nodded.

"So, at the time around my 18th birthday, I was having lots of fights with Hego. You know how he is. He was just driving me round the bend with all his comic book posturing and his inability to listen to anyone else. He constantly put the blame for any setbacks on others, mainly me, and he always took the credit for the efforts of others, mainly mine."

"That sounds like Hego, all right."

"Yeah, true trademark Hego doofus-ness. Anyway, I don't really remember getting an offer, like you, but doesn't seem unlikely. I was, after all, an up-and-coming bona fide superhero. And if that was what happened, it didn't go well at all."

"So, what do you think happened?"

"I don't **know**, do I? I just have these hazy, dream-like recollections. The fat man, talking to me. The same bastard, looking down at me from something that looked like a ship's bridge. Watching, observing, judging. Otherwise, mostly pain. Pain and hurt in all conceivable ways. And being shut in, locked up in a really small room. Not high enough to be able to stand, not wide enough to lie down. And through it all, a feeling of frustration, anger, even fury."

Shego dropped her head and turned quiet for a while.

"And then'" she said after a while, "there was some sort of big catastrophe. Explosions, fire, collapsing buildings and stuff. And I sort of woke up, in a whiskey stupor, lacking six months of my life. And something was different. I didn't trust guys in uniform anymore. I didn't trust the government. I knew that I was alone, and had just my own strength and wits to depend on. And that I'd rather work for someone that was openly dishonest and selfish, just as long as I could get what I needed for myself."

Shego suddenly turned towards Kim and gave her a bright smile. "And that is how I came to work for a mad scientist with doomed-to-failure plans of world domination, for a fat pay-check. Nice career move, don't ya think?"

"Well, I dunno. It meant you got to meet me, didn't it?"

Shego laughed, a bright, happy sound that Kim had never heard the like of during their time on different sides of the law.

"It sure did, Princess. Thanks for reminding me. But, listen to me carefully now: Please don't take this offer. I feel in my gut that noting good will come from it."

Kim thought for a while before answering.

"I'll think carefully about this. And I'll tell you what I decide when I'm done. Deal?"

Shego also hesitated a while.

"Fine," she said, eventually.

==#0#==

It was now in the middle of the afternoon, and it was getting warmer and warmer.

The two women folded their chairs down so as to be almost flat, and lay down to relax and make small talk of less serious matters.

After a while, Kim noticed that Shego's answers became more and more sleepy, Eventually, she sat up and looked over at her companion, discovering that she was fast asleep.

Just like a cat in the sun, Kim thought.

She decided to do some serious thinking while her friend slept, and wandered off to the very edge of the garden, where she had a favourite corner with some nice stones to sit on.

After a while, she used her Kimmunicator to make some important calls. She discussed the situation with Wade for quite a while. She talked to Ron about the more personal aspects of the deal. She even phoned Roxy and Monique, the latter mostly to connect with real life and the normal things in life.

Time passed quickly with all the thinking she was doing, and she was surprised to suddenly hear her mother's voice.

"Girls! Come on in! Dinner is ready!"

==#0#==

Dinner went about as smoothly as usual. Kim, her mother and Shego got along well, and contributed most to the conversation. The Tweebs were still a bit in awe of Shego, and were also nowadays trapped in a high-school world of their own, and mostly communicated with each other anyway.

Mr. Dr. P. was mostly quiet. This was not because did not like Shego, but rather because he still felt a bit intimidated by her and her sometimes drastic humour. It was also a fact that Shego was a very attractive woman, and the timid Mr. Possible felt a bit embarrassed by his involuntary reactions to her presence. It was not made any easier by Shego's rather liberal attitudes to life, and her openly bisexual disposition.

Mrs. Possible, of course, read her husband like an open book, and wasn't above joining with Shego in teasing him in various ways. All in all, Kim found the dinner quite entertaining.

James served cognac with the after-dinner coffee, and Shego enjoyed a largish measure.

"Eh, Shego," Kim asked, "you didn't drive here, did you?"

"No, Pumpkin, I didn't. I got a lift with a recent … eh … friend."

"Ah! Male or female, this time?"

"Definitely, emphatically male, Princess! Don't remember his name, though!"

Mr. Dr. Possible choked on his cognac and had to be thumped in the back in order to be able to restart his breathing.

Kim, who had had neither wine nor cognac, quickly offered her services.

"I can give you a lift back, Shego. I have my Sloth here, and it isn't all that far."

"That would be nice, if you're sure it's no trouble…"

"No, that's all right. I need to talk to you, anyway."

Shego understood what Kim probably wanted to talk about, and quickly accepted the ride.

After offering to help with the washing-up, and being shooed out of the kitchen, the two young women took their leave.

==#0#==

The ride downtown took only about ten minutes since there was little enough traffic at this time in the evening.

When they arrived at the tower block where Shego lived in the luxurious penthouse, Kim pulled the car into the parking lot and shut the engine off.

"So, Shego, I promised I'd tell you when I had thought the sitch over."

"And now, I take it, you have?"

"Yep. I've made up my mind. And the long and short of it is, I'm going to take Mr. Smith up on his offer."

Shego gasped in chock.

"WHAT did you say? Have you gone completely ape shit? Has your cheese slipped right off your cracker? Are you fucking mad?"

"Calm down, Sheeg. It's like this: If the deal is on the level, it's a really good chance for me. And if it isn't; if there's something shady or underhand, or just plain risky and misguided, I need to put a stop to it. Either way, I need to do this."

"Oh, shit. And the part where the bastard destroys your life, do you need to do that, too?"

"That won't happen. I'll make sure to be able to get help if something goes wrong. Wade will give me all sorts of untraceable trackers and communication devices. The moment something goes south, I'll just ask to get pulled out. And, furthermore, you will know where I went. And Ron, too. I'm sure you'll come looking if you don't hear from me."

"I can't believe my ears! Why the fucking hell would you want to do this? Why not play it safe and leave it alone? You can stop the bastard by just not giving him any volunteers to work with! You can warn everyone you think he's likely to approached!"

"Nah, I don't think so. Oh, all right, there might be some likely recruits from around the GJ, or the Feds, or the Agency, and we might find them and talk to them. But, think! Where would he be most likely to find promising people?"

"The loony-bin?"

"No, silly. The armed forces! The Marines. The Navy SEALS. There would be many good prospects for training to find, there, and it would be real hard for me, or you, or Wade, to intercept that!"

Shego sighed, and took a few seconds to marshal her thoughts.

"Okay, okay. But, the truth is, I don't really care about some bone-headed army dudes that I don't even know! I don't care about any Company cowboys with shit for brains! I care about you! And **why **you would want to go and do something so goddam crazy when I ask you, even beg you, not to do it? I really don't understand! You can't keep doing these mental hero capers and expect to pull through all the time!"

Kim was silent for a while. Then she continued in a more subdued voice.

"There is, actually, another very good reason for me to do this.

She turned in her seat and looked Shego in the eyes.

"It's like this: If you're right, and this Mr. Smith is the man you met, and if his programme is so dangerous or down-right evil, then he really hurt you nearly 10 years ago. I mean really, really hurt you. And if that's the case, I wanna make him pay!"

==#0#==

/_Author's note/ So that's the sitch, and that's what Kim has decided to do. Never one to take the easy way out, is she, now? But has she bitten off more than she can chew, this time? _

_Stay tuned!_

_/Feudor/_


	4. Chapter 4

**The Breaking of a Hero**

**Chapter 4: The Plunge**

_Okay, let's get this over with: _

_Don't own Kim Possible? - Check! _

_Use her anyway? - Check!_

_Make no money? - Check, and double check!_

_So, here's more of this unauthorized non-profit piece of fan-fiction of mine. _

_Read and enjoy, if you are so inclined, or don't, if that's your choice. _

_Leave a review, get a response._

_Thanks to Rshiel at deviantArt for beta-reading. Remaining errors are, of course, my own. _

_____\o0o/_____

"**It's like this," Kim Possible said. "If you're right, and this Mr. Smith is the man you met, and if his programme is so dangerous or down-right evil, then he really hurt you nearly 10 years ago. I mean really, really hurt you. And if that's the case, I wanna make him pay!"**

Shego looked at her for a while in incomprehension, mouth slightly open. Then she snapped into action and threw herself out of the car.

She started pacing to and fro across the parking lot, hands fisted and shaking with restrained frustration. Now and then, a shrub or a trash can would be vaporised in a burst of green flame, in a vain attempt at anger management.

After about ten minutes of pacing and random destruction, Shego walked back up to the car, opened the passenger side door, and leaned in.

"You know what, Brat? You go ahead. Just jump straight into the fire if you wish! But don't say I didn't warn you!"

She then slammed the door and stalked off towards her house.

Kim shook her head in resignation, and waited to see Shego enter the building before driving off. She would fix this, and get some justice for her friend, and it would all be well.

_____\o0o/_____

Shego was much too agitated to go to bed.

She tried watching TV for a while, but found nothing to capture her interest.

She decided she needed some help to wind down, and raided her bar.

Finishing off all the whiskey and bourbon she had, she was still angry and frustrated, but at least a little more sluggish. She couldn't even find the energy to go to bed. Instead, she pulled a blanket over herself and crashed on her living room sofa.

A large intake of alcohol can make you pass out. Shego, after all, had extensive experience of these effects. It was not, however, conducive to a good night's sleep.

Lying down on the sofa, the living room looked enormous. The green luxurious carpet suddenly looked very threadbare, almost like a well-trodden meadow of wizened grass. She would have to do something about that, soon. Or perhaps not. The view from the windows was beginning to look very ugly, with a lot of girders and scaffolding obstructing the sky-line. Perhaps it would be easier just to move somewhere else.

She got up, and stood in line with a number of other persons. She must have lost her blanket because it felt very cold, standing there dressed only in a pink apron and bunny slippers. It was night, but the field was illuminated with the type of flood-lights common at sports arenas. In the distance, the dark and silent attractions of an amusement park rose towards the sky. Roller coaster trestles and tracks, merry-go-rounds, Ferris wheels and other installations surrounded the open area.

They stood at attention, face straight forward, and Shego could not see any of the others. She knew that they were all good comrades, though, even if she couldn't name them.

An big man, dressed in a Roman Centurion's armour, rode up before them on a small bicycle, bellowing insults, and sending them running for the very challenging amusement park obstacle course. Climbing and crawling over the girders and trestles was hard work. Avoiding the huge roller coaster cars and the whack-a-mole mallets was almost impossible.

When she arrived at the finish, by a big popcorn stand, she was greeted by Captain Steve Barkin.

"Ah, pvt. Go," he said. "Will you marry me?"

She could not answer, but the officer took her silence as a refusal.

"A pity," he said, pulled out a flint lock pistol, and shot her in the forehead.

But when the gun smoke had dispersed, it was Kim lying dead on the boardwalk.

_____\o0o/_____

She woke with a start, lying on the floor below the sofa, her mouth tasting like the cat's litter box.

It was not yet day, and the booze was all gone.

She groaned and sat up. Sending a wave of comet powered metabolism through her body quickly got rid of the excess alcohol. It was a pity that it couldn't just as easily get rid of her queasy stomach and her headache.

She gave up all hope of going back to sleep, and went out into the kitchen. The clock on the microwave read 4:23 AM.

She grabbed a carton of juice from the fridge and drank it all down in a vain attempt at getting rid of the bad taste in her mouth.

She felt restless and furious, and knew she had to do something to stop herself going mad.

The cordless landline telephone lived in its charging nest on the wall beside the fridge. She grabbed it and punched in a number from memory.

"_Well, isn't this your lucky day_," a cheerful voice answered. "_You have reached the Ron-man! Only, not really, 'cause this is just a recording in a clever machine …_"

"Oh, man! Pick up, already, Stoppable!"

"… _message after the beep! Bye for now!_"

She hung up and dialled the number for Ron's Kimmunicator instead. After a long series of signals, there was a mumbled and almost unintelligible response.

"Eh… wazzat? Who's there?"

"Ron, you loser! Wake up and talk to me!"

"Oh, hi, Shego. What's up? What time is it?"

"It's half past four in the morning, and Princess is gonna do something stupid! You gotta stop her!"

"What, this deal with the training offer?"

"Well, duh! You have to talk her out of it!"

Ron sighed.

"Shego, I learned a long time ago, in pre-K actually, that it's impossible to talk Kim out of anything once she's made up her mind."

Shego started pacing her flat in agitation.

"But you have to! She'll get hurt and it will all be my fault!"

"What?"

"It's my fault, I tell you! I met that man about ten years ago, and something really bad happened. It's my fault!"

"Hey, how do you figure that? Bad man does bad things to you, bad man is back to do something to Kim. How could that be your fault?"

"Not that bit; the bit where she has to go and do it. I asked her not to, and now she just has to do it, to sort of get revenge for me!"

Shego had reached her bedroom, and threw herself on her bed, cordless phone still at her ear.

"Ah. Proves my point, really. You can't tell KP what to do. Especially not by telling her not to do something!"

He hesitated a bit before explaining further.

"Let me tell you a story. When we were five, we got new play-ground stuff for the pre-k. The most exciting new out-door toy was a really big jungle-gym. Well, the teacher told us all to be careful and not climb too high to start with. How long do you think it took for Kim to climb up to the very highest bar she could find, and stand on one leg, singing 'Eensy weensy spider'?"

"Oh, I get it. It has to be reverse psychology all the way, right?"

Ron sounded almost smug.

"Well, that **might** work. But, if the teacher had told us "let's see who can get to the top first", I think the result would have been much the same."

"So we're screwed?"

"Well, yeah. I have certainly learned to not stand in her way when her mind's made up. That doesn't mean we can't do anything, though."

"Like what?"

"Like **help her! **Even in her craziest escapades,she knows she can rely onme, and even you, to get her out if it all goes pear-shaped. So, Wade is giving her a lot of gadgets to take with her, and he'll be doing all the net snooping he can to get the info on this scheme. I'll be asking Dr. Director to look out for Kim's sake, and giver her all the info we can get. And I'll be going to Japan to talk to Master Sensei."

"Huh! Old codger still alive, then?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Rather frail, though, so he doesn't leave Yamanouchi anymore."

Shego wasn't overly impressed.

"So, what do you expect him to do? Send an army of monkeys to the rescue?"

Despite his Mystical Monkey Powers, Ron shuddered at the thought.

"No, of course not. But his advice is always good."

Shego was silent for a while.

"Listen, Stoppable, do you think your Gandalf of the Apes would be any good at unlocking suppressed memories? Could he help you remember things that have been hidden for you?"

"Oh, sure! He can guide anyone to find the mysteries of their own soul."

"Eugh! I don't want him pawing my **soul**,thank you very much! But," she continued in a smaller voice, "it could be useful if I could remember more about what happened to me, earlier…"

Ron's voice brightened.

"Good thinking! We should both go see him! Can we take your jet?"

Shego sighed, suddenly very tired.

"Sure. It's a long flight, though, so I need to get some sleep first…"

"Yeah? Well, it would help if you didn't get up to make crank phone calls in the small hours, don't ya think?"

"Oh, ha ha! Love you, too, Buffoon! Call you later."

Shego hung up and stretched out on top of the bed.

She really didn't like the idea of reliving the memories behind her nightmares. But she liked the idea of Kim getting hurt even less. And having something to do, something that could help to lessen the risk for Kim, made her able to relax.

Soon she slept peacefully, cordless phone still in her hand.

_____\o0o/_____

The following afternoon, Kim went back to the GJ offices to announce her decision.

After waiting for just a few minutes, a GJ administrator came to get her. She wasn't shown to Dr. Director's office, though, but to another one two doors down.

The office worker knocked on the door and announced their presence.

"Miss Possible to see you, sir."

"Ah, Kimberly Ann! So good to see you again, and so soon! Please come in and have a seat. I trust you have been well?"

The man she knew as Mr. Smith didn't get up from his desk, but merely gestured to the chair in front of it.

"Ah, yes, quite well thank you…"

"And now you have come to give me your decision? Or is there something more you want to know before you make up your mind?"

"Not really. I would just like to ask you, again, about the programme, and if I would be able to, say, visit my parents some time during the training. Or call my boyfriend?"

"Oh dear, Miss Possible! I believe we discussed this yesterday? I am very sorry, but due to the secret nature of the training programme, that would not be possible. We can, however, undertake to let them know you're all right from time to time. Would that be acceptable? Remember, we **are** offering you the path to your dream job, here!"

Kim made a show of hesitating before answering.

"That'd be fine," she finally said. "I'm in!"

"Excellent! Good decision, Miss Possible!"

He got up and walked round the desk.

"Let's get this underway, then, shall we? Follow me, please"

"What, right this minute? Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that. Why wait? Did you need to do something else before starting? I thought you'd have taken care of that before coming back with your answer."

Kim shrugged.

"Let's go, then."

Mr Smith led her along the corridors of the GJ building and out into the parking lot in the back. A big, truck-based RV stood just outside the doors.

"Come on in, Miss Possible. I always have my own mobile offices with me if I need to work away from headquarters for a while.

The first room in the RV held just a small desk. They sat down to sign a few papers; the contract they had gone through yesterday, a number of insurance papers, and a few forms for data on next of kin and the like.

After that, Mr. Smith handed her off to a nurse, who took her further back into the depths of the RV for a medical check-up. Kim went through the usual examinations and had her blood pressure, lung capacity and ECG measured, vision and hearing checked, and weight, length and shoe size recorded. She was also given an inoculation for a cocktail of different tropical diseases.

After that, she was asked to strip and take a shower. Her clothes, even the underwear, were taken away. Unfortunately, the majority of the Wade-supplied gadgets hidden in the seams went with them.

She was given a hospital-style gown and taken to another room that looked like the military version of a beauty salon, where a man in a white coat greeted her.

"So," he said, "I'm going to cut your hair for you. But don't worry; I won't give you a crew cut, just something short and stylish."

He looked at her face and brushed her hair this way and that before starting.

The end result wasn't bad, Kim thought. It was almost a reddish version of the style Adrena Lynn usually wore. The bad thing, though, was that the transponders and com gear she had had hidden in her hair were now lying on the floor around her feet.

On her way to the next room, she passed through what looked like airport security portals. A buzzing discharge hit her with a sharp electro-magnetic pulse. This, of course, destroyed the micro chip senders that had been placed subcutaneously in her shoulder and in the small of her back.

In the next room of the RV, a quartermaster issued her with a number of different sets of clothing. There were sports bras, panties and socks; a number of military looking overalls, a set of outdoor gear that looked suitable for going camping in Alaska, and what looked like a uniform for a patrolling police officer.

She wasn't given any weapons, radio equipment, or badges, though.

She dressed in one of the overalls and put the rest of her gear in a duffel bag before emerging stepping out from the back of the RV.

Mr. Smith was waiting for her there. A sleek, black helicopter was idling in the parking lot behind him.

"Ah, Possible. All set?"

"Yes, thank you."

"That's 'Yes, Sir!' if you please!"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good! Then we head out. Get on board."

Kim couldn't really say she was surprised at the change in Smith's demeanour. She did mutter something under her breath, though.

"What was that, Possible?"

"That was '_Yes, Sir!_', Sir."

Smith nodded.

"Thought so. Well, enough of the chit-chat! Get aboard."

Soon, Kim watched the familiar view of Middleton dropping away below her.

She was on her way to the training course arranged by the man Shego thought had ruined her life, and was currently without any of her prepared means of contacting Wade.

"Well," she thought, "This is it. Now it's just down to me!"

_____\o0o/_____

/_Author's note/ Yeah, now she has taken the plunge, and Mr. Smith has dropped a bit of his Mister Nice Guy act. Can she tough it out? Can Wade find anything helpful? Is there any clues hidden in the depths of Shego's memory? _

_And also, how does this read? Too much dialogue? Too little action? Boring? Confusing? All of the above? _

_Please read and review, and stay tuned if you wanna know what happens next. _

_/Feudor/_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Breaking of a Hero**

I had really given up on this story. My inspiration went AWOL and my energy suffered a complete meltdown.

Recently, though, MaskedClouds101 read it and left reviews, and I discovered that I had the next chapter almost finished, just sitting on my computer.

So, here comes chapter five! If it gets any hits and reviews, I might get the fires stoked enough to continue...

**Chapter 5: The meeting**

_Disclaimer yadda yadda._

_Why do I keep writing these? Do they mean anything if Disney would come snooping? _

_And, anyway, Kim is twenty-one in this story. If she could do anything, before, she can still do it now, plus she can even buy alcohol! Who could __**own**__ such a gal? _

_Oh, right, Disney could. _

_Well, I'm still gonna do my stuff and write more of this unauthorized non-profit piece of fan-fiction of mine. _

_Read and enjoy, if you are so inclined, or don't, if that's your choice. _

_Leave a review, get a response._

_Thanks to Rshiel at deviantArt for beta-reading. Remaining errors are, of course, my own. _

_\o0o/_

"**Well," Kim Possible thought, "This is it. Now it's just down to me!"**

The helicopter rose from the parking lot behind the GJ Middleton offices, on its way to the top secret training facility Kim had just accepted to attend.

She had lost all of her active communication and tracking devices, but she wasn't overly worried, yet.

She was quite familiar with the Middleton area and the geography of Colorado. She was certain she could get a good idea of where she was going, just by looking out of the windows and estimating times and airspeed.

The passenger part of the helicopter had two rows of seats, facing each other. Kim was sitting in the rearmost row, and Smith sat diagonally across from her. There was a dark curtain between the passenger space and the pilots, so Kim couldn't watch straight ahead. Still, the sideways view should be enough.

Smith opened his briefcase and removed a thick book.

"Possible!" he said. "Instruction Manual. Learn it by heart. Start right away. Chapters one to five are essential if you aren't to get into trouble the moment we arrive at camp."

He handed her the book, then pressed a button to make blinds cover the windows.

"No distraction. Concentrate on learning," he said.

Kim sighed.

_\o0o/_

The Greyhound bus from Go City arrived in Middleton just after four o'clock in the afternoon, more or less on time.

A lean, young man with blond hair, hazel eyes and freckles stepped out from the bus. He was wearing cargoes and a leather jacket, and carried a backpack and a messenger bag.

It was raining, and only one elderly couple waited out by the bus to greet what were presumably their daughter and grandchild.

The young man left the noisy welcomes behind him and walked towards the parking lot.

A sleek, black car blinked its headlights, telling him he had found his ride. As he got closer, the boot popped open, evidently by a touch of a button from the driver, and the passenger side door opened. The man put his luggage in the back and got in.

_\o0o/_

"Hi there, Shego!" Ron Stoppable said. "New car, again?"

"Well, the other one got thoroughly crumpled in a car chase. Can't drive around in something looking like a raisin."

"So, what is it this time?"

"An Aston Martin DBS V12. Sweet ride! Handles like a dream."

"And I can see it is black on the outside. But no green?"

Shego pointed to a green Little Trees Wunderbaum hanging from the rear view mirror. Ron pretended to be shocked.

"Gasp! I would have thought you'd at least have green stripes on the leather upholstery! Are you getting old and tired, or what?"

Shego actually didn't rise to the taunt.

"Well, I could have gotten a custom interior, I guess, but it would have cost me eleven thousand. Pounds sterling, that is, not dollars. And it would have taken nine months extra to get the car. Besides, this is nice enough for me…"

Ron shook his head in mock amazement.

"I still remember that black souped-up Mustang with green flames you used to have…"

"But that was in the bad old days, and I had Motor Ed to look after it for me." She shrugged. "And anyways, now I value 'discreet' a little more than 'flamboyant'."

"Oh, my! I bet it's not even faster than my old scooter, too."

At this, Shego smiled mischievously and proceeded to prove him wrong.

_\o0o/_

When they arrived at the small cargo airfield outside Middleton seventeen minutes later, Ron fell out of the car, throwing up at the curb.

"All right, all right," he said when he had finished retching. "It's fast, I admit it. _Very_ fast."

"Told ya! That'd teach you not to say I'm old and tired, I hope."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Though I hope you give me some credit for not puking all over the upholstery… "

"Yeah, nice show of guts," Shego said. "Or not, as the case may be."

She tossed Ron his luggage and grabbed her own suitcase and a small satchel from the boot. "Come on!"

Shego walked briskly towards a hangar at the edge of the field, and Ron staggered after to the best of his somewhat impaired abilities.

Shego's airplane was a small business jet. It was not her favourite, but it was the only one the authorities had let her keep after her amnesty. The Harrier and the SAAB JAS 39 had been impounded by the GJ. Evidently, they were a bit reluctant to let her fly about in advanced machines with serious military capabilities. She still got to use them on some missions, but only on GJ authority and after signing for every single round of ammunition.

Anyway, the Gulfstream jet was nice enough. It had been modified by GJ technicians for greater speed, thrust and range, and some of the passenger space had been filled with fuel tanks and other equipment. It still seated four passengers and two crew in stunning luxury.

Shego had taken Ron and Kim with her on the plane on quite a few occasions, and Ron knew the pre-flight drill.

He opened the hangar doors and took the engine covers off while Shego started her status checks. When she had started the engines, he removed the blocks from the wheels and watched her taxi out onto the tarmac. He closed the doors, and Shego let down the stairs to allow him on board.

"Come on up to the cockpit and strap in, and lets blow this joint!"

Shego had already submitted the flight plan, and as there was fairly little air traffic at the time they were soon in the air and on their way to Japan.

Having reached cruising altitude, Shego switched the autopilot on and unbuckled her belt.

"You do the flying for a bit, Sidekick, and I'll go get some sleep."

Ron nodded but didn't say anything. On the surface, it was the same bossy Shego as always, but he knew her well enough by now to see that she was a bit nervous and wanted to be left alone for a while.

He decided not to bother her with unnecessary details, like for instance that, although he had a certificate, he wasn't qualified for twin-engined jets.

_\o0o/_

The helicopter flew fast but with constant changes in direction and altitude. In combination with the blinds of the windows, it almost made her seasick. She guessed, though, that it was flying real close to the ground, avoiding radar and traffic control.

One more challenge to her plans.

After a couple of hours, by about five o'clock in the afternoon, the helicopter began to slow down, and the sound of the engines and rotor changed. Kim assumed that they were approaching their destination, and Smith, who had been taking a nap, stirred.

"We're there!" he said, and pressed the button to raise the blinds from the windows. "Have you learned the instructions?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Good! Then go to your quarters and unpack. You have room 7 in B Hall. Then, report at the parade grounds by 1800 hours, in the outdoor training gear. Questions?"

"No, Sir!"

Kim made her way to the barracks. They were more or less as she had expected: very utilitarian and military in style. She was a bit surprised that she got her own room, though, and not just a bed in a large dormitory. She was grateful for the privacy, even if the room was very sparsely furnished: a bed, a desk, a chair and a set of metal cupboards that looked a bit like a row of high school lockers.

Just before six o'clock, she made her way to the open space marked 'parade ground' on the map in her instruction manual. Six other persons, dressed just like her in boots and grey overalls, waited in line, facing what she took to be an officer of some kind.

"You!" he bellowed. "Fall in!"

Kim took a place at the end of the line.

"Atten - shun!"

The others straightened feet together and arms along their sides. Kim did the best she could to imitate them. The officer looked at her, deploringly.

"Right! Listen up! This is Red. She will join you as of today. Let me hear you identify yourself for her!"

Her comrades in arms obeyed.

"Tall!"

The man with short, sandy hair must have been well over two meters ten in height.

"Quick!"

A brown-haired, tomboyish woman with an elegant face and an expressive mouth.

"Strong!"

If Hego dyed his hair blond, he would look a bit like the third person in the line.

"Smart!"

Kim suspected that this name was not so much descriptive as it was sarcastic; the man looked so much the typical boneheaded muscle.

"Fat!"

This was also somewhat of a misnomer. The man was huge, all right, but not really fat, just broad as a three-lane highway.

"Mean!"

Bonnie Rockwaller on a bad day would have looked like sunshine and cuddly cartoon animals in comparison.

"Tiny!"

Shorter and thinner than Kim, the shaven-headed man gave reason for his handle.

"Good! Remember these names, Red! Never, ever, tell anyone your real name while you're here. These designations are the only way anyone will know you during the training. That's all you are, here!"

Kim hoped the descriptive nature of the names would help her get it right quickly.

The officer himself was of less than average height, and slim. He looked strong, though, in the way a medium distance runner is strong. No body-builder muscles, but a lean, wiry kind of strength. He had a rugged, weathered face, and watery blue eyes. His uniform fit perfectly and there didn't seem to be even a suspicion of a crease in his shirt or trousers. Likewise, there did not seem to be an ounce of humour anywhere in his body.

"Right! You have all been sitting on your damn asses all day, learning whatever useless things the communications experts see fit to fill your useless brains with. Now, it's time to use your muscles. Five laps around the field! The one that comes in last will get to clean the latrines! Go!"

They all took off, and Kim followed. Running didn't present her much of a challenge, and she felt certain someone else would be doing the bathrooms this time.

"All right!" she thought. "Army boot camp, just as I imagined it. Not too scary, so far!"

_\o0o/_

There was an airstrip close to the Yamanouchi, and to Ron's delight a small helicopter was on hand to take them up to the school itself. He was glad to be spared the long walk he had been forced to take the first times he visited.

The short flight up the narrow valleys to the well-hidden secret Ninja Academy offered vistas of breath-taking beauty. As always, Ron was amazed that there would be such large stretches of wilderness in such a densely populated country as Japan.

The display of natural beauty seemed wasted on Shego, though, who still seemed troubled and preoccupied.

After landing in the outer courtyard of the school, Ron and Shego were greeted by a familiar figure.

"Ron-san! Welcome home, as always! What brings you here, at this time?"

"Hi, Yori! Nice to see you!" Ron gave his teacher and friend a hug. "This is Shego. I know I've told you about her!"

"Welcome, McGowan-senpai!" Yori gave a formal bow, palms of her hands pressed together. "Any friend of the Monkey Master is a friend to me!"

"Er… thank you."

"You wish to talk to Sensei, I assume?"

"Yes, if that's all right. How is he?"

"He's … tired. Mind sharp as ever, though. He's expecting you, but please don't take too long. It's late, and he needs his rest."

Ron nodded and made soft grunt of agreement.

"Follow me, then!"

Yori led the way through a gate to an inner courtyard and up to a small pavilion in its centre, behind a small pond with Koi fish. Ornamental trees shadowed the building from the evening sun. The traditional sliding doors were open, letting the cool air in.

Yori knocked on the doorframe and alerted Sensei to their presence. She then gestured for the guests to enter.

Sensei was sitting on the tatami mat, a low table with tea utensils at his side.

"Ah!" he said, "Stoppable-san! I have been expecting you. Welcome! Sit awhile. Have some tea!"

"Thank you, Sensei. Maybe later. For now, may I introduce you to Miss McGowan? The Sensei of Yamanouchi, Miss Siobhan MacGowan. We are here to ask for your assistance in recovering some memories that have been … eh … lost?"

"Ah, yes! Miss Shego! Welcome! I have been expecting you!"

Shego made a soft, scoffing noise, but otherwise said nothing.

"You doubt me?"

Shego sighed.

"Look," she said, "No offence, but this is so basic. The first rule of being a wise, inscrutable old geezer is that, whatever happens, you say you expected it. It is soo old."

"That could certainly be true, and would be an easy first step to perceived wisdom. Nevertheless, I did expect you to come here, sooner or later."

Shego huffed.

"Oh, come now, Miss Shego! You are no stranger to this attitude yourself. Or can you honestly deny that there are many things that you yourself actually do expect? Like suspicion, avoidance, distrust and betrayal? You expect a lonely life, and you even act so as to ensure that your expectations are fulfilled. Sarcasm, pride, anger, disdain. Am I not correct?"

There was a pause while Shego struggled with her temper. She would have liked a snarky come-back to cover behind at this intrusive analysis, but for once her smart mouth deserted her.

"What?" she eventually said, "are you a mind reader, too?"

Sensei chuckled.

"Oh, no! It is just that I have lived a very long life, reading, observing, studying and teaching. The martial arts, of course, but mainly the abilities and the limitations of mind and body. By now, it is just so easy for me to see what is there to be seen and heard. And I have heard a lot about you."

Shego looked down in thought for a while. She noted gratefully that Ron and Yori were whispering quietly with each other, providing her and the Sensei with a certain amount of privacy. After a few moments, she straightened and looked at the old man with some hostility.

"Well, I don't know what you have heard, but what you will now see, is me leaving. This was a bad idea, and I shouldn't have come. Sorry to have taken up your time."

"Oh, please, _Midoritora_! Do not fight it so. You came to me for help, so let me help you. There is no weakness in accepting the assistance that is offered freely!"

Sensei clapped his hands, getting the attention of Yori.

"Yori-chan, could you please have the eastern rooms in my house prepared for Miss McGowan? And see to it that she gets clothing and equipment suitable for a proper stay at the Yamanouchi Academy!"

"Hai, Sensei!"

"And have dinner served here for Miss McGowan and me, so that we may talk in private. Of course, I do not have to ask you to make the Monkey Master welcome back to us?"

Yori might have blushed slightly, but did not comment. She made a formal bow and started dragging Ron away.

"All right?" Sensei asked. "I would like to see you here for dinner, and we can get started on recovering your memories. Now follow the young ones and get yourself some proper clothes!"

Shego did her best to imitate Yori's bow, and hurried after her.

_\o0o/_

Five laps around the field seemed to add up to about five miles. Some of it consisted of flat tracks around the camp and part of it wound its way through gently sloping woodland. As Kim thought, she didn't finish last. She had to admit, though, that it had taken more than expected to rise to the competition, she had had to see both Mean and Tiny beat her. The others weren't far behind, either.

Strong came in last, but only by about twenty seconds.

The officer lined them up again.

"Deplorable!" he announced. "You run like pregnant elephants, except for Strong who runs like a pregnant walrus! With quintuplets!w"

Nobody said anything.

"Well, at least you have had a bit of a warm-up. Now we can begin with the real stuff!"

Kim groaned inwardly. Well, at least she would not risk getting out of shape during her stay with the programme.

_\o0o/_

/_Author's note/ So, this is the start of the training. Doesn't seem too bad yet, perhaps. Well, that remains to be seen. _

_Meanwhile, Ron and Shego are at Yamanouchi, hoping Sensei might unlock some hidden memories from Shego's past. _

_Not all that much action so far, mostly setting the scene. Might change soon, though. _

_Please read and review, and s__tay tuned if you wanna know what happens next. _

_/Feudor/_


End file.
